In this era of the online world, there are many businesses that are taking place virtually. With this there is an ever growing need for cyber security. One of the most recent modern world problems is hacking. In fact there are now companies that offer hacking services to highest bidders. Yes, you heard right- there are many companies with the main aim to hack the system for the investors. This new era of cyber hacking is now called Cyber Mercenaries. Countries in fact hire such companies to hack on high scale, such companies are used both in developed and developing countries to hold many cyber operations.

There is a rapid increase in surveillance technologies all around the world. In the case of developed countries they most often have their own artificial intelligence units. However, many developing countries might not be able to afford one such unit and can be more inclined towards cyber mercenaries. There have been many cases reported where countries used these hiring firms to breach into other countries’ data. These cyber mercenaries provide a platform to hirers to outsource and operate attacks without having any dedicated units in their own country. There is a lot of speculation that many countries also have ties with certain mercenaries.

These cyber mercenaries are used to target and manipulate information for different purposes even including those which can be of potential harm. After much deliberation, it has been found that there are three main phases of such firms that are most commonly used by them to hack.

Reconnaissance

In this stage the targets are profiled by the hacker silently. They use different softwares to automatically collect data from the internet such as different social media posts, blogs, or any other website. This stage is least apparent to the target individuals.

Engagement

It is the stage in which the aim is to develop contact with the target so that trust is built. It is used to gain access to their personal information and to get close to them. This tricks the targets into sharing information. However, this is the stage where one can spot the hackers if careful examination is done. During the engagement process, it is important to be vigilant and not to share information that is personal and might later lead to damage.

Exploitation

This is the final stage which is the most dangerous one where hackers might create fake domains to gain access to important information or files. Hackers in this stage try to gain access to different credentials such as emails, finance, or any other corporate network.

By clicking on any malicious link, the hackers make their way into your device and system. It is important to create more awareness against such firms as there have been many infamous cases where through these hacking firms, individuals and even countries have faced a lot of damage. On a country level, it is important to come up with domestic domains to help fight off any potential hacking attack. But individuals should also be careful to avoid getting into this trap.